Is it possible to to EVEN play Shamisen while drunk? Guitars are great at parties 'cos even the most drunk person who has a small talent with the instrument can manage some entertaining tunes, but shamisen? I find my fingers just won’t keep up with the tune I want to play… what am I gonna do?
Hm oh wait I can actually contribute something of substance to this as I did one of granted rare recordings under the influence . . .
http://freecarvers.com/sem/clips/drunk.mp4
anyway great that we finally have a dedicated thread I was thinking about posting some drunken thread tonight after weeks of absence what can I say you beat me to it 
still I want to share my renewed stoke about nine inch nails I bought their latest album this week (Hesitation Marks) and also ordered a huge number of tracks strictly instrumental album called Ghosts I was not aware of (came out 2008 or whatever) oh well I became a fan of Pretty Hate Machine and The Downward Spiral after a fellow traveler in San Franscisco recommended it to me almost 10 years ago and it could not have been more suitable at the time . . .
NIN is a synth happy sound pop act as you can hear in the clip below . . . (for those who share my halfeducated knowledge about the band or the trent this is some 80s demo song that (UNFORTUNATLY) did not make it to the first officially released and somewhat darker sounding album . . .
Sakura Sakura under the influence… classy. Danke!!!
I had a feeling that the slower tempo songs would work better.
I can attest that it’s possible. You just have to be VERY careful not to spill beer on the skin, and be careful of bachi strikes. 
Oh come now, come now, people! Let’s be honest here! The Shamisen masters of the past ? They all loved to get drunk! Even a lot of the one’s today who carry on the tradition… Drunk a good percentage of the time! I remember my teacher (name excluded for privacy ) used to tear the roof off the house with his Shamisen while drunk out of his mind!
I can relate to this a little although I am personally a hopeless lightweight when it comes to alchohol. However if I could make a personal confession, one of my favorite times to play Shamisen has always been while high.
Throughout history, where there has been music, there has been booze. Or, as we like to call it, “liquid talent.”
one of my favorite times to play Shamisen has always been while high.
Really?? Kevin, surely you jest!
Hey! Let’s not forget the great Hirosaki Tai Kai quote…
“It was the whiskey!!”
Hahaha!!! That’s true!
Perfect answer for Pete! If it wasn’t for a tall swig of whiskey, I think I would’ve been a wreck on stage at the taikai. A lot of nerves needed to be calmed!
ha ha… it’s usually the whiskey that disconnects my brain from my fingers and messes with my coordination.
I might have to practice a bit more scientifically and grade my playing by degrees, shot after shot to get the right balance (surely there’s an android app in there somewhere, Karl?).
Have always been a bit worried that if I drank before going on stage I’d mess up worse… but I must admit the passion in da playin’ does start to flow after a few!
a fun quote i found about playing after one or two…
“Play better?- No
Perform better?- Yes!”
The lady in my avatar pic was a geisha, and I think alcohol was an important part of her diet. She never seemed to be drunk, but she usually had three ‘go’ of saké every day (one go is 180ml). Once when we were on the same program together, she brought out a screw-top aluminum green tea can (from a vending machine)–but it was full of saké. She asked me if I wanted some before the performance (unfortunately, it doesn’t work as ‘liquid talent’ for me) so I had to refuse. Trying to keep up with her at the afterparty was also impossible.
a go of sake good story
Great little vignette John. That’s what I’m talkin’ about. (oops, didn’t mean to sound like Sebastian Vettel).
Hahaha!! That is a good story, John. I have a hard time keeping up with Nitta san myself.
Just gonna leave this here…